Dam Good Connections – Los Angeles

OSU Foundation & Alumni Association

Build “dam good connections” at this popular returning OSUAA event with fellow Beavers in the Los Angeles area.

Richmond Bar & Grill

SoCal, it's time to celebrate the enduring Beaver spirit in your community! Join us for Dam Good Connections LA at an iconic South Bay setting, Richmond Bar &amp; Grill in El Segundo, on May 29.OSU Honors College Dean Toni Doolen will lead a conversation about how Oregon State attracts and develops the best and brightest and equips them to make a lasting impact, and facilitate discussions with prominent local alumni: <ul><li>Shraddha Aryal, ’03, the executive vice president of exhibitions at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.</li><li>Kenan Heppe, ’11, a global star with over a billion views on his Mandarin language videos and a lead role in a Chinese feature film.</li><li>Connor Kelsay, ’16, a mechanical engineer whose work on parachute systems helped land the Mars Perseverance Rover.</li></ul> Alumni, students, parents and community members, join us for an incredible chance to grow your network and find fellow Beavs near you. Dam Good Connections — Los Angeles May 29, 2025 6-8 p.m. PT <a href="https://www.richmondbarandgrill.com/" title="https://www.richmondbarandgrill.com/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Richmond Bar &amp; Grill</a> 145 Richmond Street, El Segundo, CA 90245Price Non-OSUAA members: $10 OSUAA members: $8 Current OSU students and children 11 and under: Free Limited space is available. Save your spot before registration closes on May 26.Questions? Please reach out to us at 541-737-2351 or <a href="mailto:osualum@osualum.com" title="mailto:osualum@osualum.com" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">osualum@osualum.com</a>. About the speakers:Shraddha Aryal, ’03, is the executive vice president of exhibitions at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, shaping its exhibitions program and visitor experiences. A strategic planner and a creative thinker, she played a key role in the museum’s opening, collaborating closely with internationally renowned architects. Previously, she led exhibitions at Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha and designed exhibitions at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York. She holds a bachelor’s degree in graphic design from Oregon State and a master's in interior architecture from Rhode Island School of Design.

Kenan Heppe, ’11, known online as "The Chinese Tones Guy," has over a billion views on his Mandarin Chinese videos that both educate and entertain. In China, he's known for being one of the only Western actors to land a lead role in a Chinese feature film (you can also see him as Mike Evans, the lead antagonist in Three-Body on Amazon Prime, the original Chinese version of The Three-Body Problem). His talents and skills have taken him all over the world, but his background hasn't always been performance. He earned an honors bachelor’s in chemistry from Oregon State and was the first student in over 16 years to graduate with a 4.0 GPA in that major. Heppe believes OSU's campus, courses and community helped him take advantage of the necessary skills to fuel his dreams, and he's excited to share that with anyone interested in pursuing theirs.

Connor Kelsay, ’16, graduated from Oregon State with an honors degree in mechanical engineering. He discovered a passion for aerospace while working on a guided parachute payload with the OSU rocketry team. After graduation, he joined Airborne Systems North America, designing decelerator systems, including components of the Mars Perseverance Rover parachute. He later founded a parachute department at Inversion Space for space re-entry systems. Kelsay has designed, tested and manufactured recovery systems for interplanetary missions, weapons, UAVs, personnel parachutes and autonomous guided parachutes. He enjoys spending time with his wife, Bonnie (a College of Engineering alumna) and their daughter, Sky, and pursuing adventure sports like paragliding, skydiving, surfing and scuba diving.

Dates, times and other details for in-person events are subject to change.Photos and videos from this event may be used in Oregon State University promotional materials. By attending this event, you consent to have your photo taken and appear in videos and allow use of these photographs and videos by OSU, the Foundation or the Alumni Association for promotional purposes.

Dam Good Connections – Los Angeles

More events from OSU Foundation & Alumni Association

Discover more events from OSU Foundation & Alumni Association, from Business to other experiences you might love.

Still looking for the right event?

Explore all events in El Segundo and filter by date, category, and more to find the perfect fit.

Dam Good Connections – Los Angeles

More events from OSU Foundation & Alumni Association

Discover more events from OSU Foundation & Alumni Association, from Business to other experiences you might love.

You might also like...

Browse more events with different dates, prices, and formats to find your next great experience.

Still looking for the right event?

Explore all events in El Segundo and filter by date, category, and more to find the perfect fit.